Preparation of nano-ferrous sulfide modified with phytate for efficient Cr(VI) removal in aqueous solutions.

Phytate-modified nano-ferrous sulfide (IP6-nano-FeS) was successfully prepared to overcome the low efficiency of heavy metal removal by nano-ferrous sulfide (nano-FeS) due to the agglomeration and easy oxidization of this reducing agent. The results showed that IP6-nano-FeS improved the dispersion of nano-FeS particles, and the maximum Cr(VI) removal reached 436.94 ± 25.40 mg/g. A more novel contribution of this study is that Cr(VI) removal by IP6-nano-FeS was enhanced in the presence of Mg2+, Ca2+, and O2. The removal efficiency increased by ∼10% and ∼8.5% in the presence of conventional cations (Mg2+ and Ca2+: 2-10 g/L) and O2, respectively. The application potential of IP6-nano-FeS for the rapid removal of Cr(VI)-contamination in the presence of aerobic and coexisting cations was confirmed in this study.